It’s time for summer, and MEDIC is ready to kick things off with the annual Parrot Head Week from May 22 – 26.

MEDIC will be serving cheeseburgers to throughout the week, and donors will receive a special edition t-shirt (while supplies last), Texas Roadhouse coupon, Salsarita’s coupon, and automatic entry to win one of five Margaritaville gift cards or a two-night stay at the hotel in Pigeon Forge.

Grilling schedule:

Monday – Athens Donor Center

Tuesday – Crossville Donor Center

Wednesday and Thursday – Ailor Avenue and Farragut Donor Centers

Friday – No grilling

On Wednesday and Thursday, donors at Ailor Avenue can enjoy live music from Barry Jolly in the outdoor tent sponsored by Pinnacle Financial.

Reserving a time slot is encouraged and can be completed in- the MEDIC donor app, on the website at medicblood.org, or by calling 865-521-2683.

MEDIC is the primary blood product provider for 24 hospitals in 22 counties including Blount Memorial, Covenant Health System, East TN Children’s Hospital, Tennova Healthcare, and UT Medical Center.

As a reminder, the blood, platelets, and plasma products on the shelves now are what would be used in a trauma event, and it takes at least three days for donated blood to be processed and ready for distribution. Demand remains high while donations have been low this summer.